A Note from S.J. Francis: When I saw this blog post, I knew I had to share it. Should you enter writing contests? This author says yes and I agree, to a point. Why? Before my novel, Shattered Lies was purchased I asked a long time published author friend with all the books out there, how could I make mine stand out? She advised me to enter contests. Well I did. I lost count how many I entered and how much I spent in doing so. To date, my book or cover has placed in seven contests of varying degrees. It's nice to see that others out there, experts in the writing field acknowledged my novel. It's nice to receive their notes and seals of recognition, too. Did winning the awards help my books sales any? Nope. Did it help make my book stand out? Not that I've noticed. Should you enter writing contests? That is completely up to you. If you have the time and can afford it, why not go for it? I know a lot of other authors that don't enter contests while some do. It seems to me to be a matter of preference. Do you enter writing contests? Why or why not?
From The Write Life.com
Should
You Enter Writing Contests?
This Author Says Yes
Last
spring, I entered my novel into awriting
contest on
a whim, with my state’s writing association.
I felt
my odds of winning somethingseemed
decent enough it was worth the $40 entry fee, and at minimum, I’d
receive the judges’ feedback, which would be extremely helpful for
honing my craft.
Who
can resist an opportunity to see how you measure up to your peers?
In
early summer I got news that I was a semifinalist. Then in August,
that I was a finalist. It started to get exciting. I
could really, actually place! But
I tried not to think about it too hard, to avoid too much
disappointment later.
Well
friends, I not only placed, I got first place for the published
fantasy category.
And
then in a completely unexpected twist, my novel received the
organization’s top honor as 2016 Book of the Year.
Hooray!
I was
completely floored. Winning an award is a really nice pat on the
back—you’re doing something right,
and those high-starred reviews on Amazon are not just out of
politeness.
Held
up to high standards of objective judging, you
made the cut.
But
beyond fueling a writer’s ego, what can an award do for your author
career?
“Award-winning”
As
soon as you are declared a winner in a contest, you get to slap
“award-winning” in front of your byline any time you want.
And
you should definitely want to. The external affirmation of an award
can help new readers consider you worth a risk. Over time, this is a
credential that pays off.
Speaking
opportunities
This
new tag next to your name should be able to help you get a few more
speaking gigs, too.
My
award came with one opportunity built in: I’ll be the “person of
renown” at next year’s conference, and will deliver an address
the first day. Which is terrifying, but at least I have a year to
prepare for it.
While
at the conference, I got invited to address a writer’s group, and
I’ve already started sending out queries to see what else I drum
up—post-award is no time to kick back and relax … it’s time to
jump into high gear!
“But
I’m a writer, not a speaker!”
No, I
am sorry, but you are both.
Being
prepared to take on speaking gigs is a powerful way to expand your
platform. I know it’s awful—when I step on a stage my hands
visibly shake.
But
the more you do it, the easier it gets. Start small in your own
community and work your way up. If it helps, round up a panel to work
with. But
don’t let a fear of public speaking hold your beloved book back
from success.
Media
buzz
Any
time you earn recognition for your work, be
sure to send out a press release to
any reporters in your area who cover books, or arts and culture in
general (just one per media outlet please, so do your research to
find the best contact first).
Your
returns on a press release may vary, but odds are you’ll get at
least a hit or two, and every mention can help readers discover and
remember you.
Copies
in hands
This
result was immediate: As soon as the awards ceremony concluded,
people were stopping me to say they couldn’t wait to purchase my
book in the conference book store the next day.
At a
winners’ signing in the morning, I sold 20 books in about 90
minutes—and got as many new subscribers to my email list. For
comparison, I sold fewer books than that over a three-day local comic
con.
I saw
a jump in my Amazon ranking over the following week, too.
Putting
it all to work
So how
do you find the right contest for your book? Chasing the Man Booker
or the Pulitzer on your first shot is probably not going to pay off.
But, winning an award that lacks credibility won’t help you much,
either.
A few
tips:
- Look to your local and state organizations. These often offer competitions that draw in a smaller pool since they’re not national, but most writing associations are still respected influencers in their region.
- Research the judging process. I’ve seen contests before where books are nominated by readers, and then voted upon online—this is less a judge of writing quality than a popularity contest.
The contest I entered had a meticulous process including objective scoring thresholds to reach semifinalist and finalist status—so even being named a finalist was a true accomplishment. Another thoughtful feature this contest used was that to account for varying tastes in writing, the judge whose score was farthest away from the others was tossed (whether it was higher or lowers than the others).Look for contests with high standards and a clear, thoughtful judging process.
- Assess your work honestly. Do you genuinely feel that your manuscript holds up to the competition? What do critique partners tell you? Online reviews? Submitting a work you don’t feel is your best is just throwing your money away.
- Genre considerations. Look at the competition’s past results. How does your genre fare? Are there specific categories for your genre in this competition?
Don’t submit your hot romance novel for a literary prize—you may have written the most wonderful romance ever, but genre fiction is not what that competition is looking for! Find a romance competition instead.
- Fringe benefits. Make sure you gain a benefit from the contest even if you don’t win—most commonly, you should receive the judges’ comments on why they scored your manuscript the way they did.
A
time to seize opportunities
This
was a great mid-year jumpstart to bring my book sales back to life a
bit, and reaffirmed my efforts after a mid-year sales slump.
But
taking full advantage of the opportunities is taking a ton of work,
so be prepared. I’m reaching out to libraries, book stores, media
outlets, and whatever else I can think of to seize opportunities.
Quite
frankly, winning an award is some awful hard work. No sooner did I
receive this unexpected honor than my heart started to race with all
the new to-dos on my list. But it’s the good kind
of work to have, so it’s hard to complain.
Want
to create this situation for yourself? Don’t be afraid to get out
there and submit!
Do
you submit your work to writing contests? Why or why not?
E.
J. Wenstrom is
a fantasy and science fiction author living in Cape Canaveral, FL.
Her first book,Mud,
is a dystopian fantasy novel.... Read
full bio.
Thank you all for visiting with us. It’s always a pleasure to meet readers and authors. Until next month, every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart. Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat, elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!Regards,S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.
Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards for Women's Fiction.
Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.
Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.
Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.
Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.
The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.
The 2nd new book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.
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And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
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